95–96 An acute sense of loss precipitated by Jesus’ recent death underscores Volusian’s eagerness to know what Jesus looked like in life. This longing prepares for the discovery of the precious likeness preserved in Veronica’s portrait of Jesus. It is interesting that the text does not describe the portrait as being imprinted on a cloth. On the Veronica legend, see Kuryluk. On the desire to recapture how Jesus appeared in flesh, compare another text appearing much later in Harley 2253: Distinguishing Features of the Bodily Form of Jesus Christ Our Lord (art. 91).

135Amerine. The Tuscan city Amelia was called Ameria in the Middle Ages. A more standard tradition is that Pilate was exiled to the city of Vienne in Gaul. See Jacobus de Voragine, The Golden Legend, trans. Ryan, 1:212–14.

173Symoi. On Simon Magus, his cult-like control over Nero, and his rivalry with Saint Peter, see The Passion of Saint Peter (art. 7), which gives a fuller account of the story. See also the account of Simon Magus in Jacobus of Voragine, The Golden Legend, trans. Ryan, 2:325–27.

Pilate sent this letter to Claudius, who was emperor then along with Tiberius.Emperor Tiberius was alive, but Tiberius had been taken with a grave illness, so he chose Claudius to be emperor along with him. Then Emperor Tiberius decidedthat he’d send a wise man to Jerusalem to inquire about Jesus Christ, for he verymuch wanted to meet him because he’d heard many of his miracles spoken of: thathe’d raised the dead and cured the sick solely by his word, and not | only hehimself but also his disciples through him.Moreover, Tiberius said to his privy council: “If he is God, then he’ll be able tohelp us. And if he is such a singular man, then we intend to send for him to governour empire. I wish to have this, for my infirmity much hinders me. Now may wechoose a wise man who can lead us to him with great honor.”Then they elected a fine noble named Volusian, priest of the temple. And theycommanded him, if he were able to find Jesus, that he bring him back with him.Pain from the wounds that he [Tiberius] had in the most private part oftormented him mortally, and poison flowed unceasingly from it. Whateverexpensive medicines he tried were of no use to him, nor could he recover healthby any treatment at all.The absence of Volusian seemed overly long to Tiberius, and he commanded thathe come to him. And when he had come, he said to him: “I solemnly conjure you,by authority of all the gods, to convey my message quickly. And whatever youyourself want to request of me, I wholly grant it.”When Volusian heard the emperor’s urgency, he carried out the plan faithfully. Hetook leave of his entire household, and he boarded a ship in order to deliver the message charged to him. He traveled toward Jerusalem for a year and threemonths, through perils met at sea. When he came to the city of Jerusalem, all thehighest-ranking Jews were frightened by his arrival. And they went to Pilate, whohad been prince of Judea, to announce to him Volusian’s coming, for they thoughthe had come to oversee Judea.Then Pilate went nobly to meet Volusian, and said to him: “Why weren’t weinformed in advance, good lord, of your coming, so that we might have arrangedfor envoys to meet you?”Then said Volusian: “We aren’t sent to oversee these regions, protect the cities, orcollect the general payments, but rather to seek the health of our very devout LordTiberius Caesar, taken with a grave illness, whom no medicine or magic may cure.An excruciating ulcer has enfeebled him, and this is the reason for our com|ingto this country. But we ask for a man by the name of Jesus, whom we wish to see,and who, it seems, without medicine or conjuring of herbs can give health to theinfirm, as someone who came from here reported among us: that he cured allsicknesses, has health in his power, and raises the dead.”And when Pilate heard this, he was quite upset, and he groaned. Then spoke a Jew named Thomas, who had related these things to Emperor Tiberius Caesar, andsaid that he was God and the Son of God, and that even devils confessed to him:“And you can find here some of his disciples, who will tell us the truth about him.”Then one of Pilate’s soldiers said to Pilate: “I wish to inform Tiberius Caesar thatyour Highness didn’t refrain from crucifying this very wise man.”Thus was Pilate put to shame by his soldier’s statement.Upon this word, Volusian questioned Pilate: “Listen, Pilate, why did you choose,without permission of the very devout Tiberius Caesar our lord, to condemn Jesusto death, whom all the people held to be righteous?”Pilate answered, and said: “I couldn’t bear the Jews’ outcry that he said he wasKing.”Then one of Pilate’s soldiers said to Volusian: “Good lord, know well that we sawhim arise from death on the third day after he was placed in a sepulcher. Andthere are many among us who then saw him ascend on high, and then even Josephwho buried him saw him.”Then commanded Volusian immediately that someone fetch Joseph with greathonor. And when he had come, Volusian questioned him: “You who alone are wiseand courteous among the Jewish people, as we’ve heard, tell us the truth aboutJesus, who was shown to be righteous among our people, of whom even the Devilprofessed he was God, and who, if it’s true, arose from death. Indeed, we shallreceive as true only your own testimony.”Then Joseph responded, and said: “I’m certain that my Lord Jesus Christ hasarisen from death, for I was able to see him and speak with him. And after I buriedhim in my new tomb that I hewed of stone, I saw him alive in Galilee, sitting on theMount of Olives, teaching."Then Volusian sent throughout the kingdom of Jerusalem to know whether anyonewas able to find Jesus, for he greatly desired to see him. And when no one was ableto find him, Volusian mourned with anguish.Then there came twelve men, | and Joseph together with them, who said: “We sawJesus rise up to the sky.”And these are their names: Didimus, Lucius, Isaac, Didarus, Addadas, and theothers whom he named before. Then Volusian commanded Pilate be seized andput in prison. And they seized him and enclosed him in a strong jail. Then cameto Volusian both men and women, who told him and his soldiers about the greatwonders Jesus had performed on earth.When Volusian had heard of these wonders, then he said before all the people: “IfJesus is God, then he might have helped us and had mercy on us. And if he wasmerely a man, then he might have governed our whole empire.”Then Volusian commanded his whole army to seize Pilate’s entire lineage and putthem in prison. And then he commanded that they lead Pilate before him and hissoldiers. And, weeping, he said to him: “You, enemy of truth and the kingdom ofRome, why didn’t you acquire for Tiberius Caesar the vast goodness and vastpower in Jesus, whom all the people held and honored as Lord?”Pilate answered, and said: “I am not guilty of his blood, but the Jews strove to killhim.”And Volusian said to him: “How are you able to deny that you’re guilty of his death,when you were able to set criminals free rather than hand them over to them?”Then rose up one of the disciples of Jesus named Simon. And he stood beforeVolusian and all the people, and said: “Pilate, for a time you had Jesus beaten withwhips and scourges, and then you said to him: ‘I have the power to let you go, andI also have the power to kill you.’ How are you now able to deny that you wereguilty of his death?”“I feared the plots of the Jews, and for that reason, I handed him to them. And toshow that I was not guilty of his death, I washed my hands before all the Jews, andsaid: ‘I am innocent of the blood of this just man. Look you to it.’ To this, the eldestof the Jews responded me, and said: ‘Let his blood be on us and on our children.’”And when Volusian heard this, he said, weeping, to Pilate: “Ah, Pilate, mywretched one, why didn’t you free him when you were able? You shouldn’t havegiven him to them.”Then Volusian began to inquire | eagerly whether he might learn from someoneabout his appearance. Then there came a man named Marcus who knew the secretof a good woman, and he said to Volusian: “Three years ago Jesus saved a womanfrom an issue of blood. And when she was cured by means of the deep love she feltfor him, she obtained a portrait of Jesus’ countenance while he was alive. And heknew well that the good woman did it with good intent and out of the deep loveshe felt for him.”Then Volusian said to him: “Tell me the woman’s name.”And he answered him: “Her name is Veronica.”“Where does she live?”And he said: “In Tyre.”Then Volusian commanded that she be brought before him. And when she wasbrought, Volusian said to her: “Many people have told me of your goodness andhave praised your wisdom, and for this I ask that you show me the portrait of Jesus,the true and great God, who restored your body’s health to you.”Then the woman answered, and said she didn’t have it.And Volusian, because this woman thought she was being mocked, started toquestion her in a friendly way and promise her many honors. And he asked her soearnestly and promised so much that the woman who’d devoted herself to God herLord confessed everything to him: that she had the portrait of the Author ofSalvation. And Volusian then sent many soldiers with her, and they found theportrait of the Author of Salvation under the head of her bed, for she loved it sodearly that she didn’t wish to be far away from it. Instead, it was always at her headwhile she slept. She took the portrait and carried it to Volusian.And when Volusian saw it, he said: “Is this the portrait of Our Lord Jesus Christ?”Immediately she trembled and prayed, and said: “Truly, I say to you that an evilreward shall he have who delivered Jesus Christ to be crucified — he who cured thesick and raised the dead.”And when all this had been readied, he commanded all his armed comrades toready themselves. And he along with his soldiers, together with Pilate and the goodwoman Veronica with the full portrait of Our Lord Jesus Christ, boarded the shipwith great ceremony. | Then they hastened to travel as quickly as they could to thecity of Rome, and after nine months they arrived at the city of Rome. And whenthe arrival of Volusian was announced to Tiberius Caesar, he was as pleased aspossible given his grave illness. Then Volusian approached and entered into thepresence of Tiberius Caesar, bowed before him, and greeted him. And he relatedeverything as it had happened in the journey, and said that he’d been so slow toreturn because of storms encountered at sea.Then Tiberius Caesar said to him: “Why, then, is Pilate not killed?”Answered Volusian: “I feared your compassion and dared not have him killed.Instead, I’ve brought him here, and you may do with him as you command.”Then Tiberius Caesar grew very angry. And he wouldn’t allow Pilate to comebefore his face. Instead, he angrily swore and said that he couldn’t eat cooked foodor bathe ever again. And he condemned and sentenced him to be sent to a city inTuscany called Ameria and imprisoned there.Then said Volusian to Tiberius Caesar: “Jesus cured a woman of an issue of bloodthat she’d suffered for nineteen years, and she for love of God had painted aneyewitness portrait of Jesus’ image during his lifetime. And this I’ve brought, andI’ve led with me the woman who’s forsaken all her sustenance and long followedher God, saying: ‘I won’t abandon my life or the hope of my salvation. And thestrength of my soul leads me.’”When Tiberius Caesar heard this, he commanded that a man bring the woman tohim along with the portrait of Jesus Christ. And when Tiberius saw the portrait andthe woman who carried it, he said to the woman: “You were worthy to see andtouch the fringe of Jesus’ garment.” [Compare Mark 5:27–29.]And when he had said this, then he looked at the portrait of Our Lord Jesus Christand fell down to earth with awe and tears. Then he worshiped it. And when he hadworshiped, immediately was he cured of sickness and decay from the woundsinside his body. And when he felt his body’s health because he’d seen the portrait,he immediately commanded that a large sum from the emperor’s general revenuebe given to the good woman. And then he commanded that | the portrait beornamented with gold, silver, and precious gems.And then said Tiberius Caesar to Volusian: “What is my lord’s request?”And Volusian answered: “Lord, I wish nothing other than that all these people bebaptized in honor of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and that all believe regarding him thathe is the true Son of God.”Then said Tiberius Caesar: “Alas, that I couldn’t see him alive!”After nine months Tiberius Caesar had himself baptized, and he was cured of allhis sicknesses. Then he received his consuls with imperial glory. And hecommanded all his consuls to worship Jesus Christ communally, accept him as trueGod, set his portrait above the portraits of all the emperors and all the gods, andconsecrate it nobly in honor of God and the city. And when the consuls didn’tconsent to the emperor’s command to receive the name of Jesus Christ, then hegrew very angry and had so much scorn for them that he had many of the noblestconsuls tormented with various afflictions and tortured to death because theydidn’t want to worship Jesus Christ. And he who’d before been gentle and meektoward them became from this time cruel and hostile to the noble consulate ofRoman senators. But after that, he didn’t live very long. Instead, he was drownedin the Tiber, he whose soul may rest with the faithful of Our Lord.After him there reigned Emperor Claudius Caesar, and after Claudius, Neroreceived the Roman Empire. A short time later, there came to the city of Rome thedisciples of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Saint Peter, Saint Andrew, and Saint Paul. Andearlier there had come a Samaritan named Simon, who had learned much of theart of magic wherein many devils dwelled. And he said that he was God and Christthe Son of God, that the Jews had crucified him, and that he’d been dead andburied. And he asserted that he’d arisen on the third day. Moreover, to NeroCaesar were related many of the deeds that Jesus Christ Son of the living God hadperformed in Judea. And regarding Pilate, it was related that he had condemnedJesus to death. And he sent his soldiers hastily to the city of Ameria and had Pilatebrought before him. And when Nero | Caesar saw him in his presence, hecommanded that he recount everything to him as it had happened concerningJesus of Nazareth. Then Nero Caesar had Saint Peter and Saint Paul broughtbefore him and his magician Simon. And the apostles said that Simon was not Christ.And they said to the emperor: “Good emperor, if you wish to know about the deedsthat Jesus performed in Judea, look at the words that Pontius Pilate sent toEmperor Claudius Caesar. Then you’ll be able to know about all the deeds Jesusperformed in Judea.”Then Nero Caesar sent to the treasury of the Capital where the letter was. Whenhe saw it, then he read it. And when he had read the words, Nero Caesarimmediately said: “Tell me, Peter, are all these things true that people say Jesusperformed?Then answered Peter, and said: “Good emperor, all the good deeds that you’veheard about were performed by Jesus Christ the Son of God. This magician Simonis full of lies and given to the devils’ arts, and what he asserts — that he is God —he asserts as a sullied man. And he by whom we’re all beguiled by the Devil’s poweralso dares call himself the Son of God. And he also says that he is the divinemajesty who took flesh in the Virgin Mary, who deigned for mankind to havemercy on men, and in whom there are two substances, namely, of God and of man.In this magician Simon there are two substances, namely, not of God and of man,but rather of Devil and of man. And he is a seducer. And as a man, he wished tolead men astray.”When Nero had heard these words, he asked Pilate if what Peter had told him andwhat he’d heard were true.Answered Pilate, and said: “In what Peter has recounted to you about Jesus, there’snot one word of a lie.”After that, on account of the circumcision that Pilate had received from the Jews,he was once again sent into exile in the city of Ameria at Nero Caesar’s command.And there, for the great anguish he suffered, he stabbed himself with a sword, andin this way he died. And all recognized the reason for which he’d been sent intoexile by Tiberius Caesar, who believed in Our Lord Jesus Christ and left this worldin peace. Nero was certainly a killer of martyrs, a criminal, an impious man, apagan, and an instrument of the Devil. As he wandered alone in a fo|rest, he waspierced by an arrow and died in that manner. And then he was devoured by lions,just as Simon the magician had prophesied to him earlier by help of the Devil.Our Lord has given salvation to those who believe in him, and we believe that heis the Son of God, who with the Father and with the Holy Ghost lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

95–96 An acute sense of loss precipitated by Jesus’ recent death underscores Volusian’s eagerness to know what Jesus looked like in life. This longing prepares for the discovery of the precious likeness preserved in Veronica’s portrait of Jesus. It is interesting that the text does not describe the portrait as being imprinted on a cloth. On the Veronica legend, see Kuryluk. On the desire to recapture how Jesus appeared in flesh, compare another text appearing much later in Harley 2253: Distinguishing Features of the Bodily Form of Jesus Christ Our Lord (art. 91).

135Amerine. The Tuscan city Amelia was called Ameria in the Middle Ages. A more standard tradition is that Pilate was exiled to the city of Vienne in Gaul. See Jacobus de Voragine, The Golden Legend, trans. Ryan, 1:212–14.

173Symoi. On Simon Magus, his cult-like control over Nero, and his rivalry with Saint Peter, see The Passion of Saint Peter (art. 7), which gives a fuller account of the story. See also the account of Simon Magus in Jacobus of Voragine, The Golden Legend, trans. Ryan, 2:325–27.

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